I don't know if its just that dA has gotten so big that everyone has a hard time keeping up with all of the shiny distractions or if it's because I don't update every day. What are all of my artist friends up to over here?

Thank you for all of the kind birthday wishes! It's been a great birthday weekend and it's nice to hear from all of you. Came back from Granite Comic Con yesterday and met a few more talented artists that use dA. It was awesome to see so many great cosplays. I couldn't come in Halla because she was overdue for repairs but it was great to see some other suiters there as well!

On the life update end, I'm getting married in less than a month and my nerves have been through the roof. Been doing a lot of planning and juggling my search for a better job too. Art has been slow but I'm steadily completing my next children's book. Shooting for a November release.

Thank you so much again for your continued support

Also, don't forget to check out the music video some creative friends and I made over the summer! I sang the female vocal and lead the group in Halla! Filmed on site at Anthrocon 2014.

Valentines day should be a day to verbally show appreciation to the people who matter to you. You're feedback and support for my artwork is incredible. Thank you so much Have a wonderful holiday and thanks so much for the love

All of the images featured in this article come from archives of my own work so not to impose unwanted criticism. The intention of this article is not to categorize artists, but to categorize similarities of different skill levels of representational drawing. Please also note that skill level in representational drawing does not equate to the worth of an artist's creative ability. But skill in representational drawing is very important to have in a lot of art disciplines. It is a skill that takes a lifetime to learn. Skill does not come from talent. Instead, talent affects the perseverance, discipline, and desire of the individual to develop skill.

What is Representational Drawing? Representational drawing is a fancy way of saying trying to re-create something you see in real life on paper (or whatever you are drawing on). When we turn about 10 or 11 years old, or brains begin to develop a different perception of visual space than what we could understand before in the earlier years of elementary school. Some people can take this different perception and run with it, while others struggle and quit. No one has been able to pinpoint why this is but art teachers around the nation have several theories. The most supported theory is at that age, you begin to get highly critical of yourself. Just a few years ago, if a teacher gave you crayons, you were happy to color up any picture. It didn't matter if your mom's head was bigger than the house behind her or if your face had more lumps than a potato. But by as early as third grade, suddenly, you realize how unrealistic your drawings are and begin to equate unrealistic with bad artwork. Frustrations builds. Confidence plummets. If you can't draw that flower "perfectly" realistic, then why bother? These children that develop this notion become the people later in life that will say "I am not an artist. I can't draw." Notice how their work looks like it was frozen in time....still representing the world visually around them as they did before they came to the conclusion.Children that bypass this hurdle of criticism either push it aside and draw whatever they want anyway, or are observant and are successful in picking up details that other kids miss. Some will argue it is an natural inclination and others will argue it is a fostered inclination. Either way, these children are today, people who like to draw. Let me also add that some people go through the criticism hurdle badly, but come back later to try again. These are people who start to develop their drawing skill later in life.

Before I move on, I want to again emphasize that how good you are at drawing DOES NOT make you a good or bad artist. If you have trouble wrapping your head around that, please have a look at this really inspiring artist who collaborated with a 4 year old to produce some really high-caliber artwork: busymockingbird.com/2013/08/27…

How do we calibrate drawing skill? Every person is different. Everyone learns at a different pace. Just like the music discipline, you don't have to be in band in high school to one day decide you want to learn how to play the oboe. Anyone at any age can start the process of developing representational drawing skill. The categories I am about to provide for you are based on information I have gathered from my profession as an art teacher. It does not measure artistic ability.Do NOT use this to calibrate yourself as an artist. This is only meant to assess specific samples of your work for the specific skill of representational drawing. It's not an overall assessment of the artist as a creative. For instance, I might produce a digital painting at a level 5, but I might also produce a sculpture at a level 1. This is handy to know especially when thinking about submitting your artwork to groups or juried art galleries. I am also doing this to provide a resource to because so many people that submit their work and have pieces rejected are still asking for the reason of the decline when what we look for is clearly outlined in the submission guidelines. This calibration is also specifically geared around illustration and figures within a drawing. You will notice me using the terms Low Caliber, Medium Caliber, and High Caliber. Consider High Caliber as the standard for professional art contracts. Game companies, publishers, and art agencies will generally not accept anything but High Caliber work. The Levels that have a next to them are levels of artwork that generally get accepted in the AnthroCommunity group.I will be starting the levels off with what a 10 year old is capable of doing. So here we go!

Level 1 ------------------- LOW CALIBER

Beginning to Explore: At this level, the artwork can range from the artist trying to capture basic shapes up to showing interest in articulating specific details.

What is Likeable:

You can figure out what the drawing is representing.

Basic facial expressions and setting can be understood.

Different characters are easy to distinguish from one another.

Developing understanding of gestures.

What makes these examples LOW CALIBER:

The first image was done on lined paper, presenting a lack of seriousness about the artwork.

Furthermore, the artist did not crop out the scanning bed and the notebook spine, showing a lack of care/knowledge in digital image clean up.

Coloring lines going in different directions demonstrates lack of skill in coloring techniques.

Lacks understanding of proportion (a lot of you refer to this as anatomy)

General media technique feels "unfinished" and sloppy.

Level 2 ------------------- LOW CALIBER

Growing Pains: The artist begins to capture not only detail in shape, but details in gesture and in value.

What is Likeable:

Characters are clearly represented with specific details and expressions.

Begins to show basic understanding of light and shadows.

Demonstrates a growing understanding of media techniques. (Using pencil in one direction like supposed to this time!)

Better understanding of negative shapes and positive space develops.

Shows an interest in using/blending more than just basic colors.

What makes these examples LOW CALIBER:

Although overall presentation is neater, messy lines compete for attention

Media techniques are still very developing. Artist is still blissfully unaware of the "don't use dodge & burn for shading" rule in photoshop.

Still lacking in elements such as contrast and unity.

Still very figure focused and not a very interesting composition.

Level 3 ------------------- MEDIUM CALIBER

Focus Shift: The work becomes less about specific details only and more about the composition as a whole.

What is Likeable:

Character personalities are becoming very clear.

Demonstrates a growing understanding of foreshortening and contrapposto in figures. (Actions start to speak louder!)

More focus on an over-all presentation of the image. Careful thought about figure placement shows.

The artist's understanding of proportions are becoming more realistic/ believable.

Shadow and highlights are becoming more obvious.

What makes these examples MEDIUM CALIBER:

Still shows a hesitancy towards contrast.

may still include digital image clean up hiccups and low understanding of image resolution. Big Hiccups can make the artwork fall back to low caliber status and thus not accepted by the anthrocommunity group.

No knowledge of color theory yet demonstrated. Shadows are still handled in grays and darker shades of the hue.

Level 4 ------------------- MEDIUM CALIBER

Application and Experimentation: Having built good amount of confidence in drawing the figure, the artist begins to play in the "fun stuff". This is an art level that a lot of artists get stuck at without formal training or community/networking resources.

What is Likeable:

Characters resonate emotion. Proportions are reasonably accurate.

You start to really see the artist's "flavor" develop at this level.

Understanding of color theory, composition, movement, and unity begin to be applied.

Strong positive shapes and negative spaces are developing.

Demonstrates a good understanding of medium techniques to create a unified artwork.

Level 5 + ------------------- HIGH CALIBER

Demonstrating Professional Skills: The artist can tackle any shape or form and applies the art elements and principles successfully with every finished artwork they produce. Every mark is purposeful.

What makes these examples HIGH CALIBER:

Compositions communicate the purpose of the image clearly.

Utilizes different art elements and principles within an artwork to achieve a desired result consistently.

Artwork is neatly presented, very clear, and eye-catching.

Does this Level mean there is no more to learn?

absolutely not. Artists that can create professional level work still have lots to learn!

It took me about 14 years to develop my representational drawing skill from a Level 1 to a Level 5. It's not easy. It takes desire and dedication. What I hope you get most out of all this is that you can be a little more honest with yourself about your skill level when submitting to groups. If you know your work is a lot like a level 1 or 2, then submit to a group that accepts that level of work. You are bound to get more helpful feedback from artist who are growing at the same pace as you. Same goes for Level 3,4 & 5. If you are honest with yourself, you will most likely know why something was accepted or declined. I also hope you will understand where you are at in your skill developing journey and continue to pursue your drawing no matter what is said about your work or where it is accepted. We all start from humble beginnings. We are all learning and growing.

How many of you think of art criticism in a more or less negative way?

I read an incredible book by Terry Barrett called "Criticizing Art" for My Visual Cultures & Critical Practice class in my senior year of college. This author and the class has enlightened my view of what art criticism is and the components of it. And I'm posting this here on dA to share it with you.

This community is part of the bigger Art World, believe it or not. And every person who posts a comment on an artwork is practicing a form of art criticism. You don't have to be some snobby Art Historian from New York to be an Art Critic. Critics come from many different backgrounds- poets, musicians, historians, artists and everyday people- using what they write about to add to communicate what is "likeable" to the community. Critics are what drive the popularity of artwork- which essentially drives the interest in the communities they work in as a whole.

So here are some REAL Art World thoughts for all of you out there who are actively involved with feedback on artwork here in this community- straight from an Art Educator:

Criticism is neither denotes or connotes a negative activity.

Why give publicity to something you hate by talking about it?

The clarity of your feedback will determine who and how many people read and reflect upon it.

Criticism lends credibility- so artists in general like their work to be reviewed. The usefulness of criticism is subjective to the artist, however. Some artists could care less about what others have to say about their work.

Is criticism an angle for marketability? Absolutely! The most popular artists in this community are those who have been reviewed by the most people/ featured in the news/ guests of honor at conventions...etc.

So what is the point? The point is, If you are here leaving comments on artwork & faving, you are all officially Art Critics according to the definition by the Art World. Congratulations. Now use your capabilities to better our community- Continue to talk about the artwork you love and be as thoughtful as you can about it. What you post reflects on you as a critic to the artists you write about, and the audience that reads what you write.

"....I'm afraid other kids are gonna make fun of my drawing because I'm not good at it."

....said a fourth grade student to me last week at an Elementary school during my character design lesson. The little boy's comment to me about how worried he was about not being able to accurately represent what he wanted to on paper made me stop and think about something our society sort of imposes on our artists.

Since when did skill in drawing = how good of an artist you are?

I'd like to know.

Of course, we all know drawing is a fundamental skill in which every "artist" is expected to understand the Elements and Principles of Art and Design with because these elements and principles translate to ALL forms of visual art.

LETS STEP BACK AND THINK.........

Think of Art Mediums like Musical Instruments.Think of Drawing as the Piano.It's the instrument that most people develop an understanding of Music Theory to begin with.

But what if you picked up a guitar first instead of a piano-- and you learned Music Theory with the Guitar instead? Would someone say you aren't as good of a musician because you can't play the piano that well?.....I don't think so, Bob Dylan- You're a rock star.

So what if you're an artist who understands elements and principles in Ceramics....instead of drawing? What if you're an artist who uses emotion to power vivid color undertanding rather than using the colors infront of you? What if your process of art making becomes your elements and principles on paper?.....What if your art doesn't exist on paper and it goes somewhere else?

Is it really fair to disregard an artist because they cannot or are unwilling to draw the most accurate, highly detailed, realistic things?

Why do we hold "realism" on a pedestal over every form of visual art? Why do we favor that realistic painting over the simplified minimalistic design?

I told the little boy about artists like Jackson Pollock, who used "action" to drive his final pieces. Certainly, being good at drawing is one way to get something out of art making-- but it's not the only way.

So as an Art Educator, I leave you all with this:The art you make comes from you-- and that is the single most important thing about art making.

I have a dream. A dream that certain artists in the anthro community here will one day, stop being ignorant about what "furry" is...and they will stop using the term incorrectly and discriminating art because of it. Any art community has a right to set limitations on what they accept in specific collections. But being so vague in saying "we only accept anthro, we don't accept furry" brings up a deep rooted semantics issue with the terminology being used. Being an Art Educator and a former community volunteer for this gallery, I cannot sit here and watch the ignorance and not say a word. I see people promoting stamps, design charts and even groups with false information and it sickens me.

Most commonly, I see people using "furry" as a term to describe an art style.FURRY IS NOT NOT A STYLE. IT IS A SUBJECT MATTER. ANTHRO is NOT a style either. It is ALSO a SUBJECT MATTER. Style refers to the unique use of the Elements and Principles of Art and Design within the content of the artwork. Subject matter is what the artist is trying to represent/interpret within an artwork.

I had someone say to me once "I'm sorry but your piece is too furry. We are looking for anthro." WHAT

So...acccording to their definition (which I have seen reoccuring in this community), this is what I gathered:

:thumb37641329:If it's an anthropomorphic creature running around in a loincloth + tribal human stuff OR naked and has super realistic qualities with evey single hair on the body drawn......it's anthro...not furry

If it's an anthropomorphic creature wearing a suit and a tie, drinking a martini and holding a pistol and perhaps it could be very realistic in style or very cartoon in style APPARENTLY...... it's Furry and not anthro.

CONCLUSION: I think....I think they are trying to formulate a difference between "WILD" and "CIVILIZED" but instead, lumping it with "ANTHRO" and "FURRY"

Of course, I understood what they were looking for and I was more than happy to change things to cater what they were looking for. But my inner educator went off on that one. And what frustrates me is that there are big-name artists over here in the community teaching false information to newer/younger artists defining anthro and furry as a spectrum of how much human characteristics are implemented into design. STOP DOING THAT. The spectrum of human characteristics is a spectrum of personification.

Be more specific like... "we want anthros who are depicted more natural and wild" "We want to showcase realistic anthro art with a more tribal-esque feel" or "we want anthros who are interpreted with urban sophistication" "We're looking for artwork pertaining modern stylized anthropomorphic creatures"

ALSO- Artists like to bring up sexual deviance in furries. Yes, of course it's okay to not want to be associated with sexual deviance- a lot of people don't want to be. But when you are trying to define Anthro and Furry....Sex is irrelevant. It's not part of the definition and it is very ignorant to think that it is. Many people do not understand this simple fact which is why we continue to have a stigma- which we really shouldn't have on dA.

Below is the correct use and definitions of Anthro and Furry. This information is what I gathered from being both a part of the anthro deviantART community, and the community on Furaffinity. If you agree with my statements, please share this with any person who really needs to know what these things are.

There is a difference between furry and a furry. "Furry" is an adjective and "a furry" is a noun.

"Anthro" or Anthropomorphism is a philosophy of conceptual design." A Furry" is a person with specific state of mind "Furry" is an adjective to describe a specific quality of anthropomorphic art. (and it is also an adjective that describes anything extensively covered with fur lol)

Anthro is the conceptual philosophy involving the projection of human physical or behavioral traits onto anything that is not human. (also known in literature as personification).

"A Furry" is a term invented by a group of people who have many levels of interest in the personification of animals. If the anthropomorhised thing happens to be an animal that has fur....people of this state of mind assume it is "a furry." People who say they are "a furry" associate with what is called the furry fandom.

THEREFORE:Not all "anthro" is "furry" (a talking toilet is anthro..... but does not have fur)Not all "furry" is anthro (a drawing of a feral wolf is furry....but is not anthropomorphic)Someone who draws anthropomorphic art IS NOT ALWAYS "a furry"Someone who draws anthropomorphic art CAN BE "a furry"

IN CONCLUSION: I would like to conclude that saying "ANTHRO vs FURRY" is about the same as saying "BATHROOM vs TOILET" So please stop comparing the two. The terms are not a comparison. Know what they are and use them correctly.

I'm really honored to have been chosen for an interview with this pretty awesome contemporary art website. You should check out the other folks there too- including Tracy J. Butler!

You guys are probably wondering where I've been xD- It's difficult for me to bounce art around on more than 2 websites. Pretty crazy stuff. Also, I'm nearing the end of my 5 year journey to getting a BSAED (Bachelors of science in Art education) so I've been super busy with paperwork and schoolwork too. Still here though and still watching over the anthro community.

What We Do:1. Feature Daily Deviations 2. Be a Community connoisseur3. Moderate the Anthro Forum and #IamAnthro Chatroom

What we Do NOT do:1. Ban or unban deviants from dA2. Moderate Drama 3. Remove art due to policy violations or theft

If you have an image to report for art theft or violation-- or if you have harassment/drama issues with another user, Contact The HELP DESK --> help.deviantart.com/contact/ .

Now we are going to provide an clear explanation of how to properly suggest DDs, as well the guidelines for what types of works you'll want to suggest. This section will be broken down into both official rules (musts) and our preferences with what we both look for in the works we like feature.

What is Anthro?

We are still getting many miscategorized deviations in our gallery as well as DD suggestions that are NOT ANTHRO. Please take the time to do some research on what Anthro is before making a suggestion

Title your Note "DD Suggestion" Provide a Thumbnail or Link to the deviation you would like to suggest. Providing a description is optional, but preferred. Tell us if you would like to remain anonymous if you want to.

Official Guidelines for Anthro Daily Deviations

A deviant cannot be given a DD if they've received one before in less than three month's time. You can check this yourself by clicking the 'browse' button in their gallery where it will list the DDs (if any) they have and the dates they received them. The last part isn't required, but it's good practice to check that before you suggest, since it helps us avoid unnecessary clutter.

If the deviation you want to suggest uses stock, it must be from a valid stock account and they MUST give clear credit in the artist's description.

Please suggest a piece to one GM at a time. Don't send the same suggestion to all of us, that can cause major confusion and a real headache.

* When you send a suggestion, please make sure it is submitted under the Anthro Gallery.* If you find a piece that does qualify as anthro and you really want to suggest it, but it's under a different gallery, you can contact one of us and we may be able to move it to the anthro gallery. That will be on a case-by-case basis.

Eclectic features are Daily Deviations that may borderline Anthro OR not necessarily be Anthro at all. These pieces are featured with the Permission of the Traditional, 3D, or Digital Art Gallery Moderators. The Following Themes can be considered for an Eclectic feature:

Our Preferences & Personal Tips

To better help you get the suggested piece you want featured, here's some tips and things that will improve your chances of getting your suggestion a DD We want you to be happy, but also have an understanding of what we look for in a great feature!

Effort is something I look for. While not always the same as skill or quality, this is definitely a big thing I take into account, when I see that a growing artist has made a huge leap in a particular piece.

Some GDs have rules about only featuring unknown artists or have a limit on how many favs/views the piece can have for it to be eligible for suggestion. If I think a certain piece is special, I'll feature it regardless of views or the artist's popularity, but I DO consider it a big bonus if they're unknown.

While effort is important, I do try to go for quality as well. Composition, color, detail and balance.

I'm generally going to avoid featuring mature content. This isn't an absolute, but bearing in mind that DDs have a reflection on the Gallery as a whole, I ask that you please use your own judgment and try to keep your suggestions tasteful. Avoid sending me overtly sexual or fetish themed images.

Creativity is a huge thing I look for; I love featuring unusual anthros. In a gallery bursting with cats and wolves, it's always a treat to feature fish, plants, birds and even household appliances that have been anthropomorphized-- This also goes for the mediums used. Certain sub-categories in the Anthro gallery are very small, such as Oekaki, vector and sculptures. Seek the unusual!

I look at Anthro art for the "art" aspect- Not just how popular or cool it is. (though the cool factor is always considered) Creative Use of Art Elements, Composition, and Quality are what I look for the most. Art isn't perfect, but an impression of the truth, and as such, it is also subjective.

I like seeing how Anthro and Cross-Referencing work is applied in the real world, like in childrens' books and animation; things that bring out more to anthro than just the "furry" fandom. Which brings me to my next point:

Uniqueness and creative design are very important things I look for. I like seeing someone trying to go out-of-the-box, be imaginative, and make their work believable and interesting.

Effort- probably the single most important point for me, because although I like to feature well polished, professional artwork to inspire others with, growing artists hitting milestones in their artistic endeavors is something I strongly support! I like finding new artists on the block, but I have no problem featuring old pros too.

I'm a firm believer in COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY. I will respond to suggestions, usually if there is something wrong or if you sent me something that I cannot feature due to a miscategorization. I'll try to guide you in the right direction. Otherwise, if you don't hear from me, your DD was reviewed and it meets our criteria for suggestion.

Got Issues?

There are a few important things we'd like to remind everyone of::thumb105217021: Do not complain to or harass either of us if the piece you suggested doesn't get featured.

If your note is titled appropriately, you can rest assured, it will be read and reviewed. You may not always get a reply. This is another situation where I'll remind you not to complain; your input is appreciated, but we're also very busy gals who get a lot of notes.

FAQ #873:What do I do when I disapprove of a Daily Deviation feature?- If you absolutely must make a complaint about a feature, do not do so on the deviation or to the featured artist. A Daily Deviation is not an award, it is a feature picked by the staff for various reasons, and does not always have to be a technical masterpiece. In other words, the artist is just as surprised as you when their piece gets featured. We all have different tastes, it's virtually impossible to please everyone on the site, but with about thirty or so DDs featured from different galleries daily, and MILLIONS of deviations on the site, it really saves everyone a lot of drama and unpleasantness if you just move on and look at different art when you see a feature you don't like. Comment kindly and constructively, or simply move on.

In Closing

This is the ultimate guide guys. Everything you need to know is here and linked for you. If you have any further questions feel free to contact us and ask.

Commissions: CLOSED.Trades: very rarely and only with close friendsRequests: Nope. I don't have time to do free art anymore.

Friends in Real Life?:

[ T H E . A R T ]

How long have you been drawing and what did you start drawing first?16 years / since I first discovered what a pencil does. I first started drawing siamese cats because I grew up with them and I thought they were beautiful creatures. Then later on, I got into drawing people--my teachers more specifically-- because I loved drawing their faces in funny situations. And then later of course...I had to combine them....voila! ANTHRO. Today I draw them as people again in a very funny webcomic called "5 Days A Week"

Words to describe your artistic vision?On one side of the spectrum, I love slapstick, silly, and humorous things. I'm also someone who admires the simple, loving and sweet and at the same time, I revere sophistication.

How often do you draw?Almost every day. I'm constantly doing sketching even in between commissions just to keep my motivation rolling. My drawing runs on mood and passion.

How about Inspirations / recommended Artists on dA?:Any of my Homies in my watchlist are fair game. They are nice people and they are talented individuals. But a few of my favorites are:

What mediums are you most comfortable with in Traditional?I'm most comfortable with watercolor and color pencil. I've also worked in both oil and acrylic in painting as well as enamel based paints. I don't do it very often anymore because I don't have the studio space to do it. But when I do- I'll be back to it!

What Material have you used in your 3D work?Oil and water based clay, plaster, cement, resin, masonry lathe and steel. I absolutely love forging and welding. Plasma cutting is tricky but also a lot of fun.

What brushes/tools do you use in your Photoshop work?I use a custom brush and eraser both set to 20% flow. I use Normal, Multiply, and Overlay layers. And I use a Wacom intuos 3 tablet to do it.

What is the Underpainting Technique?The Underpainting technique I use allows me to establish the tone in a piece before the color. I use a custom brush that has the consistency of charcoal. I let the white of the canvas to be the lighting and I use the eraser to take away pigment to reveal highlights. Simple concept really. I use only one color (usually a dark warm gray) and the eraser. that's it.Then I come back over top with multiply, overlay, and normal layers to add color. I do not yet have a tutorial for this method.

Where can I get a copy of your published book?You can order a copy through the publisher, or you can pre order a copy through me and pick it up at the next convention OR I'll mail it to you (if you cover shipping).You can find all the Info you need here!--> www.lulu.com/spotlight/katmomm…

What is the story about? What makes this adaptation of the Tortoise and Hare so different?You might recognize The Tortoise and the Hare as a classic Aesop fable, where the Hare is defeated by the Tortoise because of his overconfidence. But in this adaptation, there is a lot more substance and a twist to the plot. Basically, The characters are far more detailed in their interpersonal relationships and personified behavior, the setting is much different and given a 1930's time period, and the story itself revolves around the Hare. Jack (the hare) is an elitist and a loud mouth-- far prouder of his accomplishments than he should be. The Tortoise (Terrace) is sick of being disparaged and made mockery of because of his failure to beat the hare. In desperation, he consults the Fox Witch (Madame Agnes Fox) for a way to stop the hare from winning the last race in their bet. Upon eating a donut laced with a vanity curse from the Fox Witch, Jack is transformed overweight and is faced with the challenge of competing in the race humbled by his new figure. Throughout the story, Jack and his devoted wife, Bernadette, learn a valuable lesson in humility, and Terrace will come to understand that strength isn't everything.

How did you go about writing and publishing the book?For a little inside scoop on the process and the people involved in the production of the book, there is some info here on the website--> www.katmomma.com/thabout.html

[ S H E R U . T S A N G . T O O ]

Siamese cats?Sheru Tsang Too (formerly Ting Tang too) is a story about a little Red-Point Siamese and his adventurous endeavors carrying the duties of his 500 year old ancestor and bringing as much peace to the world as he can. I came up with Ting Tang when I was six years of age, after getting a Wedge Style Seal-point siamese, Sopko; who inspired me to draw pictures of these graceful animals.

I must learn more of this franchise that is currently on the back burner.I've started to pick up this franchise again. Have a look at some updated artwork and information.Also, here's all of my Siamese cat art--> katmomma.deviantart.com/galler…

If there are any more questions you think belong above, Feel free to ask In the meantime, Have a nice Day!

History in the Homeland

The Siamese cat originated from Thailand, formerly known as Siam. These cats were held in such high esteem in their native country that no one except the King and members of the royal family were permitted to own them. They were originally known as Royal points.

Written records reveal that Siamese cats, in their country of origin, were venerated as guardians of the temples. When a person of high rank died, it was usual to select one of these cats to receive the dead person's soul. The cat was then removed from the royal household and sent to one of the temples to spend the rest of its days living a ceremonial life of great luxury, with monks and priests as its servants. These cats were reputed to eat the finest foods from gold plate and to recline on cushions made of the most opulent materials, which had been provided by the departed one's relatives in an attempt to receive good fortune and blessings. Once they became temple cats, they were supposed to have special powers and could intercede for the soul of the dead person.

Years ago features such as crossed eyes and kinked tail were looked on as characteristics of the breed and many legends exist as to their origin.

Legends

Rings on tail:It was said that a Princess of the Royal House of Siam used her cat's tail as a ring-stand while she was bathing. The kink in the tail prevented the rings from falling off and being lost.

Kink and Crossed Eyes; legend of Tien & Chula:Another legend accounts for both the cross-eyed feature as well as the development of the kink. Once, when all the men of Siam left their homes to defend their kingdom, just two cats - one male Siamese, Tien, and one female Siamese, Chula - remained in order to guard Buddha's golden goblet in the sacred temple. The male cat became pretty restless and, after mating the female Siamese, left her in order to find another priest to look after the temple. The female, apparently, was so overwhelmed by the responsibility of guarding the Buddha's treasure that she never once glanced away from the goblet, wrapping her long tail around its stem to prevent theft in case she should fall asleep. As time passed waiting for Tien to return with a new master, she could no longer stall the birth of her kittens, who all arrived with the physical characteristics that she herself had acquired during her period as watch guard - a kinked tail and crossed eyes. Just occasionally, even today, kittens are born with these features - so the legends are kept alive.

Siamese Gifts out of Thailand

In 1884, Owen Gould brought to England a pair of Siamese cats from Siam as a gift for his sister Lillian. These two cats, Pho and Mia, father and mother, are 1a and 2a in the British Siamese Cat Register, but they have no "pedigree", their particulars are "unknown, imported from Bangkok". The progeny of Pho and Mia, Duen Ngai and Kalahom and Karomata, were exhibited at the Crystal Palace in 1885 and excelled all competitors, but unfortunately died after the show.

Tiam O'Shian IV Between 1884 and the end of the century, a considerable number of Siamese cats were imported into England and are recorded in the British Siamese Cat Registers. Miss Forestier Walker, one of the founder members of the original Siamese Cat Club in England, owned Tiam O'Shian, an ancestor of Tiam O'Shian IV, who was a prizewinner at the the London Crystal Palace Shows of 1900 and 1901.

Mrs. Robert Locke with Calif, Siam, and Bangkok Mrs. Robert Locke founded the Beresford Cat Club in 1899 and was its first president. Mrs. Locke owned the first registered Siamese cats in America, Lockhaven Siam and Sally. Calif and Bangkok were bred from Siam and Sally Ward. It was said that Calif and Siam "carried all before them" at the Chicago show in 1902.

Probably the first Siamese cat in America arrived during the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) as a gift from the American consul in Bangkok to the President's wife, Mrs. Lucy Webb Hayes. Mrs. Hayes was notified that a Siamese cat consigned to her had arrived from Hong Kong on January 3, 1879. It was transported to San Francisco on the steam-powered SS Belgic, with charges prepaid by the consul in Bangkok. The cat had been placed in the charge of the ship's purser until San Francisco and thence was sent by express to Washington. After the cat's safe arrival at the White House, she was named Siam, and soon became a much-admired favorite.

Styles of Siamese

The Old Style TraditionalThis is the original cat brought out of Thailand, without any interbreeding for desired traits.The profile of the old-style Siamese is a more medium-size Siamese in bone structure. The shape of the head is more of an oval tilted vertically. The old-style Siamese has a slightly elongated face compared to the applehead. It is also slightly more athletic in built than then the applehead Siamese . The coats of all three types of Siamese cats are short and dense, yet soft and "springy" to touch. The old-style Siamese nose profile has as a less pronounced dip than the traditional applehead as seen below.

The Traditional Apple Head The profile of the applehead Siamese is a more stocky, big-boned and heavier build of the three Siamese cats. It is also larger in bone structure. The given term, "applehead" is due to its head that resembles the shape of an apple, very round. The applehead's nose profile has an obvious dip that can be seen when the head is turned on its side. The word "dip" is what breeders are referring to when describing a break in the nose. Additionally, the applehead typically has shorter and smaller ears.

The Traditional ClassicThe profile of the classic Siamese is a more elegant athletic muscular shaped body and is just as healthy as the applehead Siamese and the old-style Siamese. Lighter on their feet than the two mentioned above, the classic Siamese yet again has a slightly more elongated shape to its head then the applehead Siamese and old-style Siamese, but is not extreme in any way. It also has a slightly more elongated body, legs and tail. Their ears are larger and higher situated on the head than the two mentioned above. It is still part of the three groups of Siamese cats that originated from Siam. The old-style Siamese and classic Siamese possess the original body types that came from Siam. These cats have been known to live well into their teens. The classic Siamese nose profile has as almost no dip that can be seen when the head is turn on its side.

The Wedge Show StyleThe wedge Siamese is far more elongated and more extreme in body type than the traditional. The name "wedge" derives from the wedge-shaped head, like a triangle, very sharp and pointed. The wedge Siamese head is delineated by an absolutely straight profile and aligned chin. From the Tip of its nose and through to the corner extending to the two accented large ears that complete the wedge like shaped head. The eyes are a more slanted, almond-like shape and set one eye width between the eyes. The rest of the body is longer, thinner, tubular and svelte looking. The wedge Siamese nose profile has no dip that can be seen when the head is turn on its side. Its nose is also a lot wider than the above three groups of Siamese. Like the wedge Siamese, the Thai (old-style) Siamese is now shown at TICA and CFF Cat Shows.

Color Points

Siamese come in many different colors. They are born white, and like a Dalmation puppy gains spots as it matures, the Siamese gains pigment. The pigmented areas on a Siamese is called "points". The original points found in Thailand were Seal, blue, and red. Now there is lilac, tabby, chocolate, tortie, and lynx points. Here are a few examples:Chocolate - Lilac :thumb59857579:Seal - Blue :thumb80773376:Red - Tortie :thumb29537824:There are also other breeds such as the Himalayan, Burmese, Balinese, Tonkinese, Oriental color-point Shorthair,etc. that have been derrived from the Siamese. Any cat that has Blue eyes has Siamese in them. That trait is specific to the Siamese, and at one point, no other cat in the world had blue eyes except for the cat of Siam.

Personality

First of all, the stereotype that these cats are mean is downright FALSE. The FALSE of All FALSES. Any cat can be "mean" if it is abused. If the Siamese is not abused then they are one of the best cats you could possibly own, and their personality is even more beautiful then their outside appearance.Siamese cats are very intelligent and social. They love to talk to you and meow loudly. Unlike most other breeds, Siamese cats can be taught to walk on a leash and play simple fetching games. In their eagerness to please, they often resemble dogs more than cats in their temperament. Siamese cats bond very strongly to their people and do not do well when left alone for long periods of time. Some Siamese cats will attach themselves very strongly to one person, but makes a great family cat.

Siamese in Art

The Siamese has long been admired for it's beauty and grace. Certainly a fantastic subject for art. Here is a feature of some beautiful Siamese art from the Traditional, Digital, Photography, and Anthro Galleries.:thumb57217786::thumb79507319::thumb113905948::thumb84677128::thumb114612441:

and now to continue I've gotten quite a few notes and suggestions from Deviants already since I've took on the hat recently- but unfortunately, more than half of these suggestions sent to me were NOT Anthro. And even through her days as Anthro GM, savagebinn continues to receive suggestions with mis-categorized pieces as well.Let me take a moment to So before this gets out of hand, we need to nip this in the bud right here, right now.

Check this outYou know the whole "Help the Earth" thing? Where everyone sorta puts in an effort to keep our National Parks clean- pick up the trash, recycle, cut down on fuel emissions and such? Well Moderating the Gallery, Savagebinn and I are like the Park Rangers of the Anthro National Park. It's ultimately our responsibility to keep the Anthro Gallery Tidy. But Community members can have a big influence on how tidy things stay.  So it is always a good idea to stay informed, pitch in where you can, report miscats, and "Help the Anthro Gallery" and yes . ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT FOREST FIRES.

Comon, guys! You can't tell the difference? Even after the immensely detailed definitions from the lovely articles: skifi and cooley wrote, people still have trouble defining an Anthro Art. Well perhaps we have some newbies here or we need a refresher, so take a moment to read these two articles to educate yourself about what is Defined as "Anthro"What is Anthro? (Defined) by skifiWhat is Anthro? (Example Images) by cooley

Now, If after that, you still have trouble defining Anthro .Let me reiterate this for you with some Commonly Confused Situations:

DragonsDragons are fantasy unless the are bearing some obvious human characteristics. Here are a few examples of Anthro Dragons::thumb91581328:

4-Legged "Fursonas" / Equine CharactersNot Anthro. Period. According to the definition of Anthro Art here on dA, these characters are not personified enough to be considered Anthropomorphic. Their animal characteristics outweigh their human characteristics, and Anthro is more balanced.If these characters are placed in the "Anthro" Gallery, they are mis-categorized. They belong in Fantasy, Cartoons & Comics, or Digital or Traditional art.All examples of Great artwork! BUT- they are not Anthro.

Werewolves vs. Other Mythical BeastsBecause werewolves house many human characteristics, and they come from human beings, they will be considered Anthro Art. Werewolves are unique in themselves from other mythical beasts in that they have the strongest human connection. However, Werewolves may be placed in the Fantasy Category as well with the other mythical beasts.:thumb23653420:Werewolves are considered Anthro here on DeviantART. Other Mythical beasts (i.e. Unicorns, Centaurs, Faeries, pixies) are NOT Anthro.

Girls and Boys with Cat Ears & TailsFirst of all, if they have a human mouth, human nose, human eyes (well in this case, anime eyes), human skin .they are too human to be Anthro. Anthro is a balance between human and animal characteristics, and having only ears and a tail don't cut it.:thumb38147362::thumb103773504:These characters should be in the Anime Gallery. NOT Anthro.

Let me also remind you that if the Art your suggesting isn't Anthro, we cannot feature it. savagebinn and Katmomma are Anthro Gallery Moderators- that means we can only feature artwork from the Anthro Gallery.

Once again

Anthro Daily Deviation Guidelines:

Title your note "DD Suggestion." Include a link or Thumbnail to the piece. Tell us why you think it deserves a DD (optional). Do not complain if we don't respond or feature it.We prefer unknown artists (optional). If you have a problem with a DD we featured, read the DD Complaint FAQ and act accordingly. Send your suggestion to savagebinn or Katmomma

I must emphasize this: PLEASE DO NOT SEND THE SAME SUGGESTION TO BOTH OF US! If you have a piece you would like to suggest, send it to me OR savagebinn not us both. It won't help you get the piece featured- what it will do is confuse the hell out of us so Please . Send the suggestion to One or the Other. Thanks!

I hope this little blurb has gotten you a little more educated about what Anthro is, and how to make a Daily Deviation Suggestion properly. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

It's Slang Sly.... and he's purple. Go check him out and give my friend bawky some love.DID YOU KNOW?that bawky (Steph) was the person who got me to post my work here on dA? She is one of my two high school friends here and 2 1/2 years ago she told me about deviantART. We've been partners in crime since...forever She was also the person I give credit for getting me into digital art. Before I met Steph, I had always done my work in colored pencil (hence my well toned skillz in that area) But when she cam along with her fancy Photoshop, I was like wow- so shiney and clean! I must try that! And when I first tried digital.....I miserably failed. D: 1. I was stuck using a mouse- tried her tablet and I sucked at it even worse. and 2. I was using the dodge/burn tool fail in itself. Steph told me I was a failure and told me how to do it right. And after years here on dA, and learning more digital techniques, I've come a long way.

In high school, we collabed on the biggest project to hit our school- Spring-Ford's first animated movie to go to competition. Mr. Shafer, my former science teacher, (yes this guy--> ) played as himself in a short skit we did of him in his classroom with his class pet frog, Hoppity, and babysitting another teacher's class pet toad, Floppity. Everything was drawn by hand including the backgrounds. and scanned into the computer one-by-one to be put into vector in Adobe Illustrator, and colored in Photoshop. I did most of the hand work, and Steph did most of the coloring work. The Piece was a success and placed first at the Montgomery County Competition, but lost at the state level due to a rigged competition. (Sauderton High school won everthing )Below is one of the Animation sequences from the film:Our next project will be taking up the Graphic novel of Ting Tang Too - The Siamese Cat From Hunshu, and hopefully bringing it here to dA to share with all you fine people out there. There's a lot of things I couldn't do without having the support of both my closest friends Steph and Chelsea. And Chelsea is a wholenother story I have to save another journal for her-- because she's special in that she is the only one here that knows Mr. Hollingsworth and Mr. Shafer the way I do.Back to Steph....Now Steph has taken up color theory in her beautiful color pencil pieces. XD It's like we exchanged comfort zones-- her digital. my traditional. Nevertheless, she's a great friend, and I hope through our projects together we can get somewhere in the world.She'll be more active now- so if you ever want to chat with her, stop by and leave a hug. And you can catch us both in #ChatTangToo to share thumbs!

<b.So how did you come to dA? I'd love to hear your stories and art development too. Has anyone like a close friend had an influence on you?</b>

Later yallKat

Below is some very useful Links if you want to get Educated and involved in DeviantART. It never hurts to get to know the people that bring DA to life every Day!